Spicy, sweet, and tangy. This is the fire cider vinegar, an ingredient in many of your home recipes.
But can fire cider go bad? Or can I let it stay in my refrigerator for as long as possible?
If this is what you have come here to know, then you are on the right page. This article is all about fire cider and its storage and how long it will be before it gets spoiled with age.
Does Fire Cider Spoil?
Fire cider can go bad if not refrigerated. This is especially if you are using dry herbs while preparing it.
It is not the cider that goes bad but the flavor, creating a problem when you start adding it to your dishes.
In other words, it’s going to have a taste that is too strong, and no, that is not a good thing.
How Long Will Fire Cider Keep?
Six months is the maximum amount of time in which fire cider can keep.
However, some say that it can be aged for years, getting dry in time and turning into what is known as apple cider vinegar.
To be safer, it would be wiser to conclude that the shelf life of fire cider vinegar is a maximum of two years, after which you need to get another bottle of it.
After all, how difficult is it to come up with another fresh batch? It can be fun.
How Long Is Fire Cider Good Once Opened?
Perhaps you have noticed that every bottle has an expiration date, leading you to ask this question today.
Here is an explanation for your doubt. The information on the bottle mainly pertains to its shelf life.
If you want it to last longer than this, ensure it is refrigerated all the while if you want it to remain this long. You can place it in any cool dark place if you don’t have one.
How Long Does Cider Last Unrefrigerated?
It will last for a maximum of two to three hours, after which the taste is going to get affected.
The two-year shelf life that some bottles promise may not be a lie but know that the taste is still going to change, especially when stored in the wrong place, where the bottle is exposed to direct sunlight.
And then, you will be kept from knowing the specialty of this ingredient that can work its magic on your dishes.
Does Cider Have An Expiry Date?
The honest answer is yes. Cider can be aged, and cider can also be stored for years.
Confused? This is how it is. The cider of more than two years on your shelf may not spoil your stomach but will give you a strong vinegar taste.
If you don’t want this, make sure that you finish the bottle well before the expiry date.
How Do You Know If Fire Cider Is Bad?
The answer lies in the smell. Fire cider is generally flavorful and aromatic, but when it goes bad, it is going to give you a rotten smell that will make you think twice before adding it to your dishes.
In other words, it’s going to smell like a rotten lemon or a banana peel, so if you get any of these smells, you know that the quality of the cider you are using at the moment is not really at its best.
What Happens If Cider Goes Bad?
There is no such thing as apple cider going bad. In other words, it does not get harmful or poisonous. It just won’t be as good as it used to be.
It’s going to taste bad and may even turn a bit alcoholic. In other words, it may not be something you are going to look forward to adding to any of your dishes.
It’s going to have an acid-like taste, more of an insult to your taste buds, and your dishes, spoiling them all along the way.
Can You Get Food Poisoning From an Old Cider?
You seem to be very particular about this, aren’t you? Perhaps you read about the outbreak in 2017, where 70 people fell sick while consuming cider.
You can get food poisoning from unpasteurized cider but not exactly from old cider.
The people consumed unpasteurized cider here, which you should not do either.
Pasteurization kills all the bacteria that would otherwise form in that cider, making it harmful and dangerous to consume.
Can You Get Sick From Bad Cider?
From the above paragraph, you would have already got your answer, but just to make it clearer, the answer is yes.
Bad cider can make you sick as bacteria can build up, leading to some foodborne diseases, the common being food poisoning.
However, note that this bad cider does not refer to old cider but unpasteurized cider.
So, rather than the date of expiry, this is the more important information you need to find out and check.
Does Fire Cider Become Alcoholic?
Fire cider is nothing but infused vinegar from fermented apple juice, which is strained and refrigerated.
Fire cider is non-alcoholic. However, since it is fermented, it can turn a bit alcoholic in time, just a bit. Hope that’s fine.
Some people choose to mix it with alcohol, and you can do that too if that is how you like it.
But there’s one thing that you need to note here. You now cannot consume the cider that has expired because the alcohol in it is going to make you sick.
How Do You Store Fire Cider?
All this may want you to be as careful as you can be, but it’s simple, really, just find a cool, dry place, and your work is done.
If you can make some space in your refrigerator for this, then nothing like it.
Final Words
And with that, you now know all about fire cider. Can fire cider go bad? Yes, it can, but not so bad that it will make you sick. It won’t be as good as it once was by way of its taste and feel.
Fire cider can be bad but cannot go bad. It is not how long you store it but how you make it. Pasteurize it.
And don’t add any alcohol to it, for if you do; then it can go bad, harmful too.
